Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an air vent and to a motor vehicle HVAC system.
Description of the Background Art
Air vents are used in motor vehicles to supply air into an interior of the motor vehicle. The air supplied into the interior via the air vent is heated and/or cooled in an HVAC system, if necessary.
In this regard, air vents are known, which have diffuse outlet openings and spot outlet openings. Air can be discharged from the diffuse outlet openings as a diffuse or swirling jet and the air can be discharged from the spot outlet openings in each case as a spot jet. Air vents of this type increase the comfort within a motor vehicle, because the air discharged from the air vents can be discharged differently, i.e., as a diffuse or swirling jet and/or as a spot jet. To control the outflow direction of the air discharged from the spot outlet opening, air vents are known that have a movable connecting sleeve. The connecting sleeve is used in this case as an end of a spot air flow duct and due to pivoting can discharge the air as a spot jet in different outflow directions. During pivoting of the connecting sleeve to the right, the spot jet is therefore diverted, for example, to the right. The connecting sleeve in this case has an inflow opening for introducing the air into the connecting sleeve and an outflow opening for discharging the air as a spot jet. Leakage air can occur during the introduction of air into the connecting sleeve at the inflow opening, so that as a result the amount of air passed through the connecting sleeve is reduced. This is not desirable, because less air can be discharged thereby as a spot jet from the air vent, and in general this air is supplied to a diffuse outlet opening, arranged concentrically around the connecting sleeve, or a diffuse air flow duct. During pivoting of the connecting sleeve, the air passed through the connecting sleeve, is redirected at the connecting sleeve, so that because of the large cross-sectional area of the flow space within the connecting sleeve the air emerges from the spot outlet opening, without being directed sufficiently parallel, i.e., also provided with swirls.
European Pat. App. No. EP 1 972 475 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, shows an air vent with at least two air guiding channels arranged parallel to one another, whereby for each of the air guiding channels an air flow with diffuse flow characteristics and/or an air flow with directed flow characteristics can be adjusted and in an interaction zone, arranged in the flow outlet side area of the air guiding channels, the overall flow characteristics can be adjusted by mixing of the air flows of the air guiding channels.